BBCOR And
Why You Might Need A New Bat in 2012
As a safety measure for pitchers, infielders and fans the NCAA & NFHS recently made a rule
change that requires non-wood bats to meet the new BBCOR standard. This means your
current bat may be illegal. To find out if your bat meets the new criteria look
for the BBCOR compliance mark which is on all bats that meet the new standard.
Start Training Early: The New Bats Are Different
With BBCOR bats being
made to react more like wood now is none to soon to start practicing with
a new conforming bat. According to research conducted by ESPN Sport Science the
sweet spot of the new BBCOR bats is estimated to be about 2 inches smaller and
on average balls leave the bats 5% slower than the old non-conforming bats.
When factoring in pitch speed, bat speed and launch angle this 5% decrease can
turn a 400 ft home run off an old bat into a 375 ft long fly ball off a BBCOR
bat. By training with it now you'll become accustomed to the
distinctive performance and feel and ensure you'll have confidence in your new
hitting tool for next season.